Archived News:

Tuesday, Jun 10, 2014

A new patch is now live in Diablo III in North America, updating the
action/RPG sequel to version 2.06. The patch has a couple of bug fixes and balance changes, and
also frees up some inventory space by dispensing with the specific legendary
crafting materials previously required to craft set and legendary items. Here's
word from
the patch notes: "Legendary crafted items are meant to be both a stepping
stone into end game items and a good place to spend crafting materials at the
end game. While we like the fantasy of having the unique crafting materials,
obtaining them was either keeping too many people from being able to complete
the recipes in a timely manner or encouraging game flipping and similar less
than ideal patterns of play in order to acquire them. As such, we are removing
the requirement for unique items when crafting Legendaries."

Aspyr Media, in partnership with 2K and Firaxis
Games, announced today that the critically acclaimed Sid Meier’s Civilization®
V, and all available expansion packs and downloadable content*, is now available
on Linux for SteamOS. The title includes all the same options and features as
its Windows PC and Mac predecessors, including Steam Play support. Players will
enjoy achievements and cross-platform multiplayer between Windows PC, Mac, and
Linux platforms, as well as direct access to the game’s community hub on Steam.
This release of Sid Meier’s Civilization V on Linux targets SteamOS and features
support for Valve’s upcoming Steam Controller.

The
SEGA Blog offer the E3
2014 gameplay trailer for Alien: Isolation, along with new
screenshots from Creative Assembly's upcoming survival/horror game. They say
they are showing off the game at the show with a 20 minute theater presentation,
and a new game mode playable on the show floor. Continue here to read the full story.

Obsidian Entertainment celebrates E3 with a
new "roles" trailer
from Armored Warfare, detailing a new role system and the types of tanks players
will command the upcoming free-to-play military tactics game. Here's a summary:
"The roles of the Main Battle Tank (MBT), Recon and Artillery units in Armored
Warfare will offer players an endless amount of strategies in taking on the
competition in a given match. Players must weigh the cost-benefit of each role
in every scenario. MBTs are bruisers that can dish out damage and take it, Recon
tanks sweep swiftly throughout levels to help flank enemies and spot them for
artillery strikes, while Artillery units rain destruction on enemies from a
distance." Continue here to read the full story.

Obsidian also offers a new
a new trailer from
Skyforge showing off their upcoming MMORPG, saying: "This week, players will get
a glimpse of Skyforge’s unique Ascension Atlas, the Sunken Temple location and
three new character classes: the weapons-centric Gunner, the ruthless Beserker
and the merciful Lightbinder. The Ascension Atlas is a unique system that lets
players customize their character in billions of ways with adapted skills,
talents and spells. This interface displays all the directions in which players
can develop their characters." Continue here to read the full story.

In a blast from the past,
Running With Scissors announces Paradise Lost, an upcoming add-on that will
return to the paradise of Postal 2, their intentionally outrageous first-person
shooter that was released in 2003. "Here we are more than a decade later and the POSTAL brand is more
popular than ever thanks to Steam and a super loyal fan base," says Running with
Scissors boss Vince Desi. "From being scorned in the public arena and
blacklisted in the retail market, today new gamers across the globe are
experiencing the insane humor and gameplay thanks to the changing marketplace
and interest in retrogaming." There's
an interview about the news on Inside Gaming Daily, along with
an announcement trailer.
Here's more:

In PARADISE LOST the Postal Dude returns to Paradise,
Arizona, the town where the original game and sequel took place. Last seen in
the add-on Apocalypse Weekend, after having nuked the town, the Postal Dude is
thrown back into a forgotten wasteland 11 years later. He will encounter an
iconic cast of characters including Gary Coleman, Krotchy, Champ, MadCow MikeJ,
Vince Desi and other familiar faces along the way.

The Bethesda
Blog offers a DOOMteaser trailer
from E3 with a cinematic look at id Software's upcoming return to their seminal
shooter series. They acknowledge that this doesn't reveal much, saying we should
expect a full reveal of the game next month at
QuakeCon 2014, which kicks off on July
17th. In the meantime, that BFG could use a cleaning, space marine. Continue here to read the full story.

Rockstar Games finally announces that
Grand Theft Auto V is coming to
PCs, saying a Windows edition of the open world action sequel is coming this
fall along with versions for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The PC edition
will include a new video editor designed for advanced movie-making, all the new
content added since the game's release, and the ability for players to
transfer their current progress to one of the new platforms. They plan to open
preorders today, and in the meantime offer
this trailer showing
off Los Santos in its next-generation glory, and the following explanation of
what to expect:

Today we're proud to announce that the
critically-acclaimed and record-breaking Grand Theft Auto V is coming this fall
to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

Grand Theft Auto V will take full advantage of the power of the PlayStation 4,
Xbox One and PC with across-the-board graphical and technical improvements to
deliver a stunning new level of detail. Increased draw distances, finer texture
details, denser traffic, and enhanced resolutions all work together to bring new
life to the cities, towns, deserts and oceans of Rockstar North’s epic
reimagining of Southern California.

Deep Silver announces Dead Island 2, a sequel to Techland's zombie adventure in
the works at Yager (Yager) which moves the setting of the series to
California (which is not an island last we checked, though we do recall seeing
some zombies). The Unreal Engine 4 game is planned for release in spring of 2015
for Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The
Dead Island 2 website is
online, offering a
cinematic announce trailer from E3 that takes all the emotion of the
original Dead Island trailer and trades it for comedy. Here's the announcement:

The zombie apocalypse has hit the iconic, sunny realms of California as
Deep Silver announced Dead Island® 2 today. Building on the strengths of the
multi-million best-selling hit Dead Island, Dead Island 2 delivers a shared
survival, open-world zombie experience set in a clash of natural beauty and
bloody horror and violence: paradise meets hell once again!

Developed by award-winning studio Yager, Dead Island 2 is scheduled for release
in spring 2015 on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the
all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC.

Several months after the events on Banoi, the United States military has put the
Golden State under full quarantine. Now a restricted zone, California has become
a bloody paradise for those who refuse to leave their homes and an action-packed
playground for renegades who seek adventure, glory and a fresh start. Combining
the classic Dead Island elements of immersive close combat, action and
role-playing, Dead Island 2 features crazy, never-before-seen handcrafted
weapons and over-the-top characters in taking players from the iconic Golden
Gate to the celebrated beachfront boardwalk of southern California’s Venice
Beach.

Developed in Unreal Engine 4, Dead Island 2 brings back its acclaimed, seamless
multiplayer for up to eight players who cooperate, compete or simply coexist in
a truly social, new-gen multiplayer experience. Dedicated classes offer a
variety of gameplay: From the action-oriented berserker to the stealthy hunter,
every character offers a different style of play. An in-depth skill system
allows the player to handcraft their own heroes and weapons.

Paradox Interactive announces Magicka 2, saying a sequel to the
spellcasting action/adventure is coming to Windows and PlayStation 4, though a
release date is not yet specified. There are some details on the
Paradox
Interactive website along with
the E3 2014 announcement
trailer, and here's word:

Paradox Interactive today announced that
Magicka 2, sequel to the best-selling, award-deserving game Magicka, will be
released on PC and the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system. Magicka 2
will bring the iconic spellcasting system, irreverent humor, and
relationship-testing friendly fire into an all-new adventure with up to 4-player
co-op. Featuring a story-driven campaign mode, new co-op gameplay features, and
plenty of surprises, Magicka 2 will have players casting and blasting together
on computers and consoles alike.

While you get your robe cleaned and pressed for your next adventure, witness the
announcement in a new trailer:
“Millions of people enjoyed the first Magicka, even after their friends exploded
their heads with an ‘accidental’ fire beam,” said Fredrik Wester, CEO of Paradox
Interactive. “The next chapter of the Magicka saga is going to introduce new
twists on the gameplay and customization options, all presented with beautiful
art and animation on the PC and PS4®. Our players will be able to control their
Wizards the way they like, assuming their fellow spellcasters let them live that
long.”

In Magicka 2, Wizards will attempt to survive the next chapter of the Magicka
tale, exploring a Midgård that has been ravaged by the recent Wizard Wars.
Utilizing a new iteration of the dynamic Magicka spellcasting system, players
will don a wide selection of robes and staffs, face new enemy classes, and seek
guidance from Vlad, who is, thankfully, not a vampire.

Magicka 2 features:

4 Player Friendly Fire Co-op: Making and losing
friends has never been better with all game modes supporting co-op,
including hot-joining, checkpoints, and more supportive functionality.

Venture into Adventure: Witness a Midgård mostly
purged of Wizard-kind, save for a few remaining madmen, and encounter hordes
of fantasy creatures great and small.

Wizard Your Way: Try on your choice of robes,
staffs, and weapons, each with special abilities of their own, to play as
the Wizard of your choice.

The Art of Artifacts: Discover the new “Artifact”
system of Magicka 2, offering new gameplay changes and options to put new
twists on each level.

Indie publisher Grey Box announces Dreadnought, a multiplayer aerial
armada action game in development for PCs by Yager, who are also developing the
just-announced Dead Island 2. The Unreal Engine 4 game does not have a set
release date, though they say it should begin testing next year. The
Dreadnought website is
online, offering a teaser
trailer, and here's the announcement:

Independent publisher Grey Box
has issued a call to battle stations today, announcing it is working with
Berlin-based studio YAGER to create Dreadnought, an aerial armada action game
for PC. Set in a futuristic era of war and refuge, players will take on the role
of a mercenary spaceship captain who owes allegiance to no nation, fighting for
glory amidst a galaxy of chaos.

“Dreadnought harkens back to the PC space combat game we developed when we first
started out,” explained Mathias Wiese, Art Director and Co-Founder at YAGER. “In
the years since, we’ve been developing and testing some incredible ideas that
now perfectly come together in Dreadnought. Grey Box has been an amazing partner
and we’re incredibly thankful they share our vision for what Dreadnought will
become.”

Battleships in Dreadnought are massive spacecraft that come in varied shapes and
classes. Commanders will assume complete control, dedicating power to specific
sub-systems, customizing weapons, engines, armor, abilities, crew and their
ships’ aesthetics, all while collaborating with the development teams to help
determine what comes next.

“We all have that dream of sitting in the Captain’s Chair,” noted Tony Medrano,
Creative Director at Grey Box. “It’s an awesome feeling to control something so
huge and powerful, and that feeling is present in Dreadnought. Our goal is to
nurture that feeling at all costs by working with players to fulfill the
creation of their dream armada. With the game announced, that feedback starts
now. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Publisher Devolver Digital announces The Talos Principle, saying this puzzle
game will be the next release from Serious Sam creator Croteam this autumn for
Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4. Here's
a teaser trailer, and
here's what they're revealing for now:

Devolver Digital has
announced Croteam's new game, The Talos Principle! According to the
description for the game's
teaser trailer's description, The Talos Principle is a first person game
that has the player, a construct designed by an artificial intelligence, solving
over 120 puzzles through digital recreations of ruins from different eras, such
as Rome and ancient Egypt. Little information has been given about how the game
plays, but it seems to be based on manipulating laser beams and computer
terminals. The Talos Principle uses Serious Engine 4, which the teaser trailer
description says has “ new proprietary method to scan real world locations and
historical elements into the game world”. The game will be released for the PC,
PS4, Linux, and Mac this autumn!

The game is written by Tom Jubert, the person who wrote the stories for FTL and
The Swapper, and Jonas Kyratzes, who wrote Infinite Ocean. The Talos Principle
is about intelligence and what the term “meaning” means as it relates to a dying
world. It seems that the story will play a very prominent part of the game,
unlike the Serious Sam games.

Devolver Digital announces Titan Souls is another new game in the works
at Croteam. There are few details about this one for now, though they
explain this action title from Acid Nerve was honored in the 2013 Ludum Dare
game jam. The game is coming to Windows, PS4, and PS Vita. Here's what they are
saying about this for now:

Indie action title Titan Souls takes players
into a world between worlds, where the Titan Souls reside as the spiritual
source and sum of all living things. Scattered about this dimension between
dimensions are the remnants of the souls, now shattered into pieces with each
piece guarded by one of the titans of legend. On a quest for truth and power,
you are armed with but a single arrow and whatever courage you have left to take
down the titans hidden amongst the ruins.

Indie developer Dennaton Games reveals plans for a level editor for Hotline
Miami 2: Wrong Number, bragging this is being shown off at "the RV in
the parking lot with the BBQ across the street from the Los Angeles Convention
Center next door to the Hooters. Here's
a trailer showing the
editor, and here's word on what this will add to the serial killer sequel when
it is released later this year for Windows, PS4, PS3, and PS Vita:

With
the new level editor, fans will be able to meticulously design their own
soul-crushing levels to die over and over again in and share with other
cold-blooded strangers on the Internet.

Fans with a talent for designing potential murder scenes will be able to create
a floor plan and place items within including furnishings, fashionable décor,
weapons, and unforgiving enemies armed with whatever instrument of death you
choose.

WBIE offers a new trailer from Batman: Arkham Knight, showing off more of the
Batmobile, which is seeming more and more like the costar of the upcoming Batman
sequel. The clips shows off the supercar's "battle mode," though there is a bit
of a delay while Bats remembers where he parked. Here's word: "Warner Bros.
Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment have just released the first
Battle Mode gameplay footage for the upcoming Batman™: Arkham Knight video game.
Scarecrow has returned to unite the Rogues Gallery and has enlisted the Arkham
Knight and his immense military force to bring all-out War to Gotham City and
destroy the Batman once and for all. The Dark Knight must utilize the
Batmobile’s newly-revealed Battle Mode, as well as his full arsenal of
abilities, to protect his city from complete destruction." Continue here to read the full story.

Today, at
the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, Ubisoft® showcased Far
Cry® 4, the much anticipated sequel to the #1 rated shooter of 2012. Players can
now bring a friend along on their open world journey, making Far Cry 4 the
ultimate Far Cry® experience.

Hidden in the towering Himalayas lies a country steeped in tradition and
violence. You are Ajay Ghale, returning to the country of your birth, the lush
forests and harsh snowcapped summits of Kyrat, to fulfill your mother’s dying
wish of spreading her ashes. This striking and unpredictable country offers
visitors opportunity and peril. You quickly find yourself caught up in a
rebellion to overthrow the oppressive regime of Pagan Min, a man known as much
for his sense of style and charisma as his cruelty and calculated brutality.
Navigating the treacherous landscape, you find your fate increasingly determined
by the choices you make because in Kyrat, every second is a story.

You just can't predict E3... I've grown comfortable with the trend of recent
years where most big announcements precede the actual show, but there's been a
surprising amount of news this year. I like it better this way, as the show was
seeming less like a big deal all the time. Wonder if we have any more coming?

Monday, Jun 09, 2014

Ubisoft announces Rainbow Six: Siege, a new installment in the tactical
shooter series in the works for release next year on Windows, Xbox One, and
PlayStation 4. This E3
trailer from the game says it's pre-alpha gameplay footage from a
multiplayer match, and here's the announcement:

Today, Ubisoft announced the
development of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, the latest in the best-selling
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six franchise. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege will be
available in 2015 on PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the
all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC.

Development of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege is being led by Ubisoft Montreal.
Inspired by real world counter-terrorist organizations, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six
Siege puts players in the middle of lethal close-quarters confrontations. For
the first time in a Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six game, players will engage in
sieges, a new style of assault where enemies have the means to transform their
environments into modern strongholds while Rainbow Six teams lead the assault to
breach the enemy’s position. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege gives players
unprecedented control over their ability to fortify their position -- by
reinforcing walls and floors, using barbed wire, deployable shields and mines,
and more -- or breach the enemies’ using observation drones, sheet charges,
rappelling, and more. The fast pace, lethality and uniqueness of each siege sets
a new bar for intense firefights, strategic gameplay and competitive gaming.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege also features a technological breakthrough that
redefines the way players interact with a game environment. Leveraging Ubisoft
Montreal’s proprietary Realblast engine, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
incorporates procedural destruction that is realistic and unscripted, meaning
the environment reacts authentically, distinctively and dynamically, based on
variables like the caliber of bullets or the amount of explosives used. This
advance allows players to leverage destruction in meaningful ways. Walls can be
shattered, opening new lines of fire. Ceilings and floors can be breached to
create new access points. This ability to modify the level design in real time
enables players to create new gameplay opportunities directly within the game
level.

At E3 today BioWare teased the next installment in the Mass Effect series,
speaking reverently about the treatment they are giving the space opera. This is
pretty vague, but still concrete compare to the references they made to the new
IP they are working on, where they are excited about the living virtual world
they are crafting. You can see what they are revealing of both projects in
this video excerpt. Continue here to read the full story.

Here's the E3 2014
trailer for The Crew, showing a time lapse trip across the virtual version
of the U.S. in the upcoming action/driving MMORPG. Ubisoft announce the game
will launch in November, and in the meantime, they
put out the call for participants in closed beta testing planned for this
summer. Here's word:

You have been requesting it for quite some time and
we are now pleased to announce that
The Crew closed beta will be coming this summer on July 23rd.

If you want to be one of the first to enjoy cruising in the entire USA,
challenging your friends in missions and skills, and of course fully customizing
your favorite cars, sign up now!

Keep in mind that this closed beta will be available for a limited time only and
it does not represent the final game as many modifications may be applied before
the release.

Ubisoft announces an October 28th release date for Assassin's Creed Unity
for Windows, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. Here's the E3
single-player commented demo trailer as well as
the E3 2014 world premiere
cinematic trailer for the upcoming installment in the stealthy assassination
series. Here's word on the gameplay clip: "Discover Assassin's Creed(R) Unity's
redefined gameplay pillars in this single-player demo revealed at E3!
Paris,1789. In this period of oppression, commoners starve in the streets while
aristocrats squander the wealth of the nation. Among them, a young nobleman
named Arno will stop at nothing to stop the oppression." Continue here to read the full story.

EA announces a September 2nd release date for The Sims 4, promising smarter
Sims in the lifestyle simulation, demonstrating at E3 today a Sim so smart he
died laughing because he had too much fun at a party. Here's
a new trailer showing
how the stories of your little friends will unfold as you play. Here's word on
the game:

The Sims 4 takes this best-selling franchise to an entirely new
generation. Our new Sims have been reinvented into smarter, emotionally rich
characters who come to life through a combination of their free will and player
direction. Players control the mind, body, and now the heart of these new Sims
and bring their stories to life with richness and texture that has never before
been possible in the franchise. Pair these revolutionary new Sims with brand new
creative tools that are powerful, tactile, and easy to use, and the all-new
Gallery, which allows players to access other players’ The Sims 4 user generated
content directly from the game, and the result is a stimulating new gameplay
experience that powers a new era for The Sims.

There's a new Note from
Battlefront's Design Director where DICE Design Director Niklas Fegraeus
offers a brief status report on Star Wars Battlefront to accompany the
official E3 trailer
from the upcoming Star Wars action game that includes early in-game footage, and
concludes with DICE's familiar challenge to themselves to get this right: "Do or
do not, there is no try." Here's the note:

I grew up with Star Wars,
watching the classic movies over and over and collecting all the toys I could
afford. Since then, like most of our team here at DICE Stockholm, I’ve never
really left this fantastic universe.

A little over a year ago, we learned that we had the amazing opportunity to work
on a Star Wars game. I’ll never forget the moment when this was officially
unveiled at our company meeting with the entire studio present – you could
literally touch and feel the excitement in the room. This is the spirit I feel
from the team every day, whether we’re trying out the AT-AT on Hoth or racing
speeder bikes through the forests of Endor.

The E3 2014 trailer
for Mirror's Edge takes a look at the return of the highly regarded action
series, featuring the game's designers discussing the influence of real parkour
on the action, evolving the original game's premise, design considerations,
combat, and more. There's also a new
word from the producer on the game's website. Here's a bit:

Mirror's
Edge is all about fluidity, physicality and movement. We want to make sure we
evolve the game and Faith in a way that gives you an exciting new player
experience. We want the game to be accessible enough to embrace new players
while at the same time reward the skilled player. We are also committed to
provide the best 1st person close combat in the world. Advanced combat that is
integrated into an improved fluidity of movement. These are not small
undertakings, but they are challenges that we are up for.

Here's the trailer
from Battlefield Hardline shown at E3 today, offering six minutes of multiplayer
gameplay from the upcoming cops-and robbers shooter. Here's word, including a
reminder about the closed beta announced
earlier:

Visceral Games, makers of the critically-acclaimed Dead Space
series, today unveiled Battlefield Hardline, taking the award-winning
Battlefield franchise to a new world filled with new ways to play. Coming
October 21 in North America, Battlefield Hardline puts players right in the
middle of the war on crime in the gritty and glamorous streets of Los Angeles
and Miami, allowing gamers to live out their fantasy of being a cop or a
criminal. The fantasy begins today in a bold move – Visceral Games is making
Battlefield Hardline playable now for the public in a closed multiplayer beta on
the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and on Origin™ for PC. Players
can sign up for a chance to play at
www.battlefield.com/beta.

In Tom Clancy's The Division, society has fallen and it's
your job to set things right. In this exclusive walkthrough you'll see five
minutes of gameplay footage showing off the game's detailed open world, advanced
gadgets, intense tactical gunplay, and online co-op action.

Watch as a squad of agents work their way through the ruins of New York to
combat deadly opposing factions and bring order to a city lost to a pandemic.
With state-of-the-art gadgets like the data-collecting ECHO tool and
high-powered firearms, the agents have a vast array of tools and technology to
defend New York and bring society back from the brink.

Crystal Dynamics, a Square Enix studio, today announced its latest title
in the critically acclaimed and award-winning Tomb Raider® series,
Rise of the Tomb Raider ® . The game
will redefine survival action in Holiday 2015.

In her first adventure, Lara Croft® was forged into a true survivor, but she
glimpsed a deeper, secret world. In the next chapter of her journey, Lara must
use her survival skills and wits, learn to trust new friends, and ultimately
accept her destiny as the Tomb Raider.

“With the power of the new generation, and our proprietary Foundation engine,
our high octane action moments will be even more epic. Multiple locations around
the world will be filled with exploration spaces that are some of the most
beautifully hostile places on earth and over three times larger than we could
achieve before,” said Darrell Gallagher, Head of Product Development and Western
Studios at Square Enix. “Our digital actors will rival CG quality, and after
hearing the cry from our fans loud and clear, we will put the tombs back into
Tomb Raider, all in our gritty Survival-Action style.”

Rise of the Tomb Raider builds upon the formula that made Tomb Raider a success,
and features the return of Camilla Luddington as Lara Croft. Camilla will take
character performance to new heights as Lara pushes herself beyond human limits
and is confronted with what it means to become a hero. Once again, Crystal
Dynamics is proud to have the award-winning author Rhianna Pratchett as a key
member of the writing team, helping craft a story that delves into Lara’s inner
turmoil and motivations in this critical second act of her journey.

The official
announcement trailer is also now online for Lara Croft and the Temple of
Osiris, the upcoming follow-up to Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. Here's
the announcement with further details:

Crystal Dynamics, a Square Enix studio, today announced
its latest title in the Lara Croft series, Lara Croft® and the Temple of
Osiris™. The game will launch on the Xbox One, the all-in-one games and
entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment
system, and Windows® PC.

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is the sequel to the critically-acclaimed
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, and the first-ever four-player co-op
experience with Lara Croft. Featuring stunning visuals and a brand-new story,
players must work together to explore the temple, defeat hordes of enemies from
the Egyptian underworld, solve devious puzzles, and avoid deadly traps. All the
while, players will compete for treasure, powerful artifacts, and ultimate
bragging rights.

This trailer shown at
E3 today teases what's Criterion Games is up to, as the studio behind the
Burnout series and recent Need for Speed games looks to stretch
beyond the limitations of automobiles. The developers discuss how much fun they
have creating and playing their games, and promise the same for this unnamed
project that looks like it will feature ATVs, helicopters, boats, wingsuits,
parachutes, and all sorts of ways to combine them for wild stunts. They are not
revealing platforms yet, but the clip does include a couple of glimpses of
prototype gameplay from what they are calling "the biggest game Criterion has
ever made." Continue here to read the full story.

"Lead them or Fall" is the title of the
E3
trailer for Dragon Age: Inquisition, the latest installment in the Dragon
Age series of action/RPGs. Here's the accompanying spiel: "A cataclysmic event
plunges the land of Thedas into turmoil. Dragons darken the sky, casting a
shadow of terror over the kingdom. Mages break into all-out war against the
oppressive Templars. Nations rise against one another. It falls to you and your
party of legendary heroes to restore order as you lead the Inquisition, hunting
down the agents of chaos. Bonds will form - and some will break - as the
campaign for truth takes its toll. BioWare’s latest action-adventure delivers an
unparalleled story set in a vast, changeable landscape. Explore hidden caves,
defeat truly monumental creatures, and shape the world around you based on your
unique play style. Explore, lead, and battle. Tough choices define your
experience, and even one decision can change the course of what's to come." Continue here to read the full story.

EA DICE just announced at E3 they are opening a closed beta for Battlefield
Hardline today. Head over to the
Battlefield website, where they are offering
first-come, first-served
signups for instant access to testing of the cops versus robbers game.
Windows 7 or 8 64-bit and an Origin account are required. Update: This
access turns out to not be as instant as originally promised, as Origin now says the
beta will be available tomorrow at 3:00 pm (no time zone specified).

Crystal Dynamics follows the news of two new
Tomb Raider domains with the announcement of two new games, one for each. At
E3 today they announced Rise of the Tomb Raider, a continuation of the
prequel story from last year's Tomb Raider. The announcement only
mentions the Xbox One edition, but the last game also came to Windows as well as
the then-current gen consoles. They also unveiled Lara Croft and the Temple
of Osiris, a four-player co-op action game set in Egypt starring Lara Croft
(or Laura Croft, as she was repeatedly called today) and some friends. There
were trailers for each which will presumably appear online at some point.

The E3 trailer from
H1Z1 is titled "My Evil Ways," offering a look at Sony Online Entertainment's
upcoming zombie MMORPG. The clip concludes with word that the game is coming
soon to Steam Early Access. Continue here to read the full story.

EA tweets an
image showing a familiar butt, along with a Mirror's Edge
logo in case there is any confusion about what this is teasing. We're going to
take a leap of faith here and guess they plan on using E3 to further discuss
plans to reboot the parkour franchise. Thanks
CVG.

A new patch is now available for Battlezone II, updating the
action/strategy hybrid to version 1.3.6.5. The new version replaces the
multiplayer functionality lost amid the Glu/GameSpy takeover, as it was one of
the first games impacted
by the change. The patch itself is unofficial, and considered a public beta,
though it was created by a couple of the game's original programmers. Word is:
"The 1.3.6.5 Public Beta patch is a cumulative patch for Battlezone II that
includes a number of fixes and new features, such as Windows XP/Vista/7/8
compatibility, DirectX 9 graphics, networking moved from Gamespy (where support
has been terminated) to RakNet, integrated voice chat in multiplayer games, over
140 maps for multiplayer installed with the patch, stability improvements, and a
lot of other fixes and features." The patch can be found
on this page.

‘Watch Dogs’ still has its teeth firmly gripped on No1 this
week despite an 81% drop in sales (84% drop on PS4/Xbox One and 68% drop on
PS3/Xbox 360).

You have to go back to W22 2012 and ‘Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier’
for the last Ubisoft title that managed to hold on to the No1 spot. A non-mover
at No2, ‘Mario Kart 8’ (-76%) has to fend off strong competition from Square’s
new title ‘Murdered: Soul Suspect’, only 400 sales behind, at No3. ‘Wolfenstein:
The New Order’ (-51%) and ‘FIFA 14’ (-25%) both drop one place to No’s 4 and 5
respectively, while ‘2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil’ (-10%) holds on to No6. There
are still 2 Minecrafts in the Top 10 with the PS3 Edition (-37%) down 2 places
to No7 and the Xbox 360 Edition (-27%) also down 2 places, to No10. Minecraft
hasn’t dropped out of the Top 10 all year.

Previous No1s and big FPS titles ‘Call of Duty: Ghosts’ (-11%) and ‘Titanfall’
(-22%) are fighting it out at No’s 8 and 9 respectively with Activision
Blizzard’s shooter leapfrogging EA’s with only 200 sales separating them.
‘Murdered: Soul Suspect’ isn’t the only new entry this week with NCSOFT’s latest
MMO ‘Wildstar’ debuting at No14 ahead of Nintendo’s 3DS life simulation game
‘Tomodachi Life’ at No15.

Welcome to the E3 2014 roller coaster. You must be this ___ tall to enjoy this
ride. Please remain seated with hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the vehicle,
and keep your wallet firmly in your pocket. Management is not responsible for
hype, lies, unfulfilled promises, or bullshots. That said, sit back and enjoy
the ride.

Actually, the 2014 E3 expo doesn't officially get underway until tomorrow, but
that's a fine distinction, as a full slate of press conferences are scheduled
for today, and of course, publishers have been flooding the Internet with so
many details lately about their showings that one could argue we've been having
the decentralized E3 going for a few weeks now.